Top ex-AAF Players Who
May Interest the Chiefs
by Laddie Morse | April 4, 2019
With the AAF League disbanding in what looks to be a permanent move, it’s time to see who among them might be a Kansas City Chiefs contributor in the future. In other words, who are the top ex-AAF players who may interest the Chiefs? That seems to be the question of the hour as all those players who gave so much for that new league were not just playing for the love of the game… but to get their shot at the big time, a chance to sign on with a National Football League team.
Pro Football Focus shared a recent article called: “Taking a Look Back at PFF’s Coverage of the AAF” in which they offer the following information about the now defunct league’s best players:
Tight Ends
— Nick Truesdell, Salt Lake: 80.9 overall grade (1st) – No tight end really dominated the action besides Truesdell who finished with the league lead in receptions (24), yards (269), touchdowns (3) and missed tackles forced after the catch (11).
Defensive Interior
— Mike Purcell, Salt Lake: 91.2 overall grade (1st) – On 274 pass-rushes, Purcell recorded 25 total pressures that included 11 combined sacks and hits and did all of it without missing a tackle.
— Casey Sayles, Salt Lake: 87.6 overall grade (3rd) – Opposite Purcell, Sayles finished with 24 total pressures, second at the position to only his teammate in the league.
Edge Defenders
— Damontre Moore, San Diego: 90.8 overall grade (1st) – Absolutely dominant on the pass-rush like you think an NFL veteran would be, Moore finished with a whopping 41 pressures on just 220 pass-rushes including a league-high nine sacks.
— Jayrone Elliott, San Antonio: 87.7 overall grade (2nd) – Elliott led the league with his 91.9 pass-rushing grade and finished with 13 of his 28 total pressures resulting in sacks or hits on the quarterback.
— Karter Schult, Salt Lake: 81.3 overall grade (7th) – Schult led the league with 49 total pressures on just 252 pass-rushes. He was dominant on the pass-rush and if he can limit missed tackles (8 on just 32 attempts), he has a real chance to stick in the NFL.
Linebackers
— Terence Garvin, Orlando: 74.5 overall grade (4th) – Garvin stands out for Orlando with his coverage prowess, intercepting three passes and breaking up three more for the league-leading 45.0 passer rating when targeted at the position.
Cornerbacks
— Keith Reaser, Orlando: 92.7 overall grade (1st) – Reaser was a stalwart in coverage, giving up no reception longer than 38 yards, and no touchdowns compared to 10 plays on the ball (3 INT, 7 PBU).
— Cody Riggs, Orlando: 82.7 overall grade (2nd) – Riggs was also solid in coverage, allowing just 91 total yards on 25 targets. He also didn’t allow a touchdown and had a 43.9 passer rating on throws into his coverage.
— Jamar Summers, Birmingham: 77.6 overall grade (4th) – Summers finished with three interceptions and six pass breakups as he allowed just 42.4% of the targets thrown his way to be caught and a 48.9 passer rating.
Safety Position
— Derron Smith, San Antonio: 93.1 overall grade (1st) – Smith was strong in coverage, run defense and with his tackling, all leading to the top overall grade among all players in the AAF.
— Ed Reynolds Jr., Atlanta: 77.4 overall grade (4th) – Reynolds was sharp in coverage and flew all over the field for a subpar Legends defense. He didn’t allow a touchdown and saw just a 49.3 passer rating when targeted while missing just four total tackles on 52 attempts.
Laddie’s Take
Cornerback Keith Reaser is the primary player who stands out to me here. While I must confess that I didn’t watch all of the AAF’s games, I was paying enough attention to notice just how much the Chiefs ex-CB has progressed. Here’s a beautiful pick-6 by Reaser for his team, the Orlando Apollos:
Keith Reaser pick six.
3rd INT on the season
2nd TD on the season#TakeAim #ORLvsBHM pic.twitter.com/vnlvP4XCtK— /r/XFLFootball (@XFLReddit) March 9, 2019
Reaser showed that he’s plenty ready for prime-time NFL action in the AFF.
Here CB Keith Reaser climbs the ladder to make a good play knocking the ball away from the receiver. https://t.co/quowkghaGO
— Ladner Morse (@Laddiemorse) April 3, 2019
The statistics back up Reaser’s rise as well.
Keith Reaser continues to lead the AAF with a remarkable 21.2 passer rating allowed in coverage this season! pic.twitter.com/XrHiEA7wAq
— PFF_AAF (@PFF_AAF) March 27, 2019
CB Keith Reser.
— Ladner Morse (@Laddiemorse) April 3, 2019
I’d also like to see the Chiefs check out LB Terence Garvin. The 6-foot-3-inch, 240 pound, 28 year old Garvin was a UDFA for the Steelers in 2013 and has also played for the: Redskins, Seahawks, Dolphins, and 49ers prior to catching on with the Apollos of the AAF. Yep, he played for the same team as Keith Reaser. Here’s a pick-6 Garvin had while playing for the Seahawks. It was kind of a R-P-R-T (right place right time) INT but when you collect enough of those kinds of plays, there’s a good reason for that.
PFF’s list included a full array of Offensive players too but I only listed mostly Defensive players here. Is there anyone on their list you’d like to see the Chiefs take a closer look at? [follow the link below for their full listing]
Take a look back at our coverage of the AAF including our award for Player of the Year, given to San Antonio's Derron Smith.
The top players who could possibly earn an NFL shot ⬇️ ⬇️ https://t.co/mY6e1THd8G pic.twitter.com/7y6SoPp7Ua
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) April 3, 2019
Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne
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